The invention relates to a flow pump for the conveying of fluids from a storage tank to a fluid consumer, particularly for the conveying of fuel from a fuel tank to a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine.
A flow pump of this species is known, for example, from DE 40 20 521 A1, and is used in internal combustion engines with fuel injection systems for the supply of fuel from a fuel tank to the fuel injection system. A fuel injection system with an integrated fuel flow pump in the fuel tank is for example known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,884. The electrically powered flow pump in these fuel injection systems always conveys sufficient fuel from the fuel tank, independently of the actual fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine, so that the maximal fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine and any additional quantities required by the system are completely covered. The pressure in the excess quantity of fuel is reduced in a pressure regulator and it is returned again into the fuel tank via a return line. The pressure regulator thus represents a regulated choke cross section, in which the hydraulic energy carried along by the fuel under pressure is transformed into current turbulence, heat and partially also evaporating heat. In this way, on average approximately 90% of the hydraulic output generated by the flow pump are destroyed again.